Codependency is an emotional and behavioral condition that affects a persons’ ability to have healthy and mutually satisfying relationships.

Co-dependent relationships are degrading, destructive and often abusive. Many people who are partners, children, parents or close friends of people with substance abuse issues have codependent relationships that are damaging and manipulative. These relationships can lead to long term dysfunction and other issues which can cause pain, heartache and financial ruin.

Evidence suggests that codependents come from troubled, dysfunctional or broken families, although they may not accept or recognize this as fact. Blaming themselves for the dysfunction or relationship breakdowns is common – they may see that they haven’t tried hard enough, aren’t attractive enough, don’t deserve anything more. Many codependent people subconsciously seek out relationships with others that are doomed to be dysfunctional, troubled and harmful.

Codependency is characterized by feelings of inadequacy, low self esteem, low self worth, self-defeating and self deprecating behaviors People who are codependent often believe that they are not worthy of happiness and success, they are victims of their own self loathing and they often are overbearing and compulsively try to help others, despite being rejected. Many codependent people will have relationships with others who take advantage of their low self esteem and make abuse their position of power. Alcoholics and drug addicts often have relationships with a codependent person because they are able to use them to their advantage and the codependent will cover their problems for them.